A wide variety of methods have been used over the years for the symptomatic relief of pain and remission of lesions such as fever blisters or cold sores associated with herpes infection attributed to herpes virus, particularly herpes simplex virus, type 1 or type 2. One way of treating the lesions presented by herpes virus infection calls for topical application on the lesion of a pharmaceutical formulation that contains idoxuridine as the active ingredient. Idoxuridine is an antimetabolite that interferes with DNA synthesis. It is poorly water-soluble and is used as a dilute solution in a suitable non-aqueous vehicle or solvent such as dimethylsulfoxide. Another way of treating herpes virus infection calls for topical application, on the lesion, of a formulation containing the antimetabolite vidarabine. However, attempts to eradicate genital or oral herpes virus infection by local application of vidarabine have failed to show substantial benefit.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,390 that cis-platinum diamino dichloride may be used as an activator in the presence of light, oxygen and an electric field to inactivate herpes simplex virus, type 1. It is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,587 to treat viral infection by parenteral administration of a composition in dosage form containing a platinum coordination compound as an active antiviral component. It has also been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,417, concerning skin blemishes such as warts and moles, to apply topically a platinum compound to achieve disappearance of the treated blemish. However, treatment of herpetic lesions by the topical route using a platinum coordination compound in dosage form is not known.
In view of the limitations of current therapy for treatment of lesions associated with herpes virus infection, a need for additional therapeutic methods exists.